EN GARDE!

Since this band has been around since the early 90s you could hardly call them new, but they are new to me and are one of the finest 'new' bands to come along in quite a while. Masfel starts with a mix common to live electronica bands, including drumnbass, dub, house and trip- hop, but they also add other unexpected styles such as Fred Frith type odd metered fusion-rock with East European flavors, math rock, crime jazz and even some metal. None of these style combinations sound contrived or forced and all flow together to make unique songs that are upbeat and 'catchy'.

All of the musicians are superb, but I really enjoy saxophonist Levente Lukac, who often double tracks his saxophones to get that old school 50s rock sound that was also utilized by 70s prog- rockers like King Crimson, Passport and Roxy Music. The use of the saxophones as well as some raw rockin elements keep Masfel from sounding plastic and overly digital, a problem that plagues many bands that try to create a live electronica sound. Occasional vocals from Gaya Arutjunjan add an exotic element that reflects her East European singing style. There is a lot of joy and kinetic vibes to this energetic band and I bet they are a blast to see live.